Thuja plant named ‘Anna van Vloten’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Thuja  plant named ‘Anna van Vloten’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; rounded plant form; moderately vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate; dense and bushy form; bright yellow green-colored leaves; bright yellow green coloration maintained during the winter; and good winter hardiness and wind resistance.

Botanical designation: Thuja occidentalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ANNA van VLOTEN’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Thuja plant, botanically known as Thuja occidentalis, commonly known as American Arborvitae and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Anna van Vloten’.

The new Thuja plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of Thuja occidentalis ‘Danica’, not patented. The new Thuja plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 1993 on a single plant of ‘Danica’ in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.

Asexual reproduction of the new Thuja plant by hardwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada since October, 2000 has shown that the unique features of this new Thuja plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Thuja have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Anna van Vloten’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Anna van Vloten’ as a new and distinct Thuja plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit; rounded plant form.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate.     -   3. Dense and bushy form.     -   4. Bright yellow green-colored leaves; bright yellow green         coloration maintained during the winter.     -   5. Good winter hardiness and wind resistance.

Plants of the new Thuja can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Danica’. Plants of the new Thuja differ primarily from plants of ‘Danica’ in the leaf color as plants of ‘Danica’ have green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Thuja can be compared to plants of Thuja occidentalis, ‘Filips Magic Moment’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,974. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, plants of the new Thuja differed primarily from plants of ‘Filips Magic Moment’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Thuja were rounded in plant form whereas         plants of ‘Filips Magic Moment’ were conical in plant form.     -   2. Plants of the new Thuja were more vigorous than plants of         ‘Filips Magic Moment’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Thuja plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Thuja plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Anna van Vloten’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Thuja plant production. Plants were two years old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Thuja occidentalis ‘Anna van Vloten’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Thuja occidentalis     ‘Danica’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By hardwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About five months at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce rooted young plants, winter.—About two years             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; brown and white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub; compact             and upright plant habit and rounded plant form; moderately             vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 22 cm.         -   Plant diameter, base.—About 46 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 25             lateral branches developing per plant; dense and bushy             habit.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Aspect: Lateral             branches about 20° to 30° from stem axis. Strength: Strong.             Texture, developing branches: Scaly; glabrous. Texture, main             trunk: Woody. Color: Close to 200A.         -   Leaf description.—Appearance and arrangement: Flattened and             closely appressed, scale-like; opposite, simple; sessile.             Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Venation pattern:             Parallel. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Fragrance: Aromatic and             cedar-like. Color: Developing leaves, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 151B. Fully expanded leaves, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 138A; venation, close to 138A;             during the winter, main color becoming closer to 146B with             apices, close to 153B and margins, close to 168B; leaves do             not turn brown during the winter similar to other varieties             of Thuja occidentalis known to the Inventor. -   Cone description: Cone development has not been observed on plants     of the new Thuja. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Thuja have been observed have     good garden performance, good winter hardiness, to be wind-tolerant     and to tolerate temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about 35°     C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Thuja have been not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Thuja     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Thuja plant named ‘Anna van Vloten’ as illustrated and described. 